Engineering firm indicted over campaign donations

TRENTON (AP) — The retired head of a large New Jersey engineering firm and six other executives and shareholders have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to circumvent the state’s pay-to-play law.

The Birdsall Services Group was also named as a defendant in the indictment announced Tuesday.

The indictment alleges that 69-year-old Howard Birdsall of Brielle and the others disguised more than $686,000 in illegal corporate political contributions as donations made by company employees. The donations were made in amounts of $300 or less, which do not have to be reported to state election officials.

Advertisement

Joseph Hayden, an attorney for the company, said Tuesday night that the charges were “regrettable,” noting that the firm has voluntarily made “sweeping changes” to its leadership and internal processes in recent months.

The firm’s former marketing director, Phil Angarone Jr., plead guilty to charges he funneled money to political campaigns last November.

Another executive, Thomas Rospos, was indicted in December and indicted on further charges today.

The firm did tens of thousands of dollars in work for Hamilton Township, and Angarone worked as a chair of the Mayor’s Ball committee for former Mayor John Bencivengo during the 2010 and 2011 fundraisers. During that time, advertisements for Birdsall and other firms appeared in the event’s programs without corresponding donations in state disclosures.

One of the defendant’s signatures, Chief Administrative Officer Scott McFadden, appears on contribution disclosures filed as part of engineering contracts in Hamilton, along with Angarone and Rospos.